Chairman of the Union of Chambers of Agriculture (TZOB), Şemsi Bayraktar, stated, “It is not accurate to say ‘there will be drought’ or ‘there is drought’ across Turkey as of today. Rainfall around seasonal norms in March and April will alleviate concerns about drought.”
Bayraktar said that the effects of climate change are observed worldwide, and the increased natural disasters in Turkey in recent years are also a result of climate change.
Bayraktar pointed out the increasing frequency of natural disasters such as excessive rainfall, floods, storms, tornadoes, hail, frost, and drought, stating, “With the effect of climate change, the concepts of summer, winter, and spring have begun to mix, and the seasons have become different. Our farmers, who produce regardless of snow, rain, mud, heat, or cold, face almost every kind of natural disaster.”
According to information received from chambers, Bayraktar expressed that due to inadequate rainfall in October 2023, when the agricultural season began, in regions with intensive wheat and barley production, most farmers waited until November to sow.
Bayraktar expressed that with the expected rainfall for sowing in November, both the soil and the farmers breathed a sigh of relief, stating that February rainfall in Turkey was 42% below seasonal norms.
“Since the agricultural production season began in October, there has been an 8% increase in total rainfall compared to normal across Turkey over the past 5 months. Although there has been an increase in cumulative rainfall totals over 5 months, the decrease in rainfall in the Aegean, Mediterranean, and Central Anatolia regions worries producers,” said Bayraktar.
“Rainfall in winter months occurred more in the form of rain” Bayraktar emphasized the importance of temperature as well as rainfall for agricultural production, saying:
“While the summer season of 2023 became the seventh warmest summer season in the last 53 years, August was the second warmest August of the last 53 years. After such a hot summer season, temperatures in September, October, November, December, and January were also above normal. The average temperature in February was 7.5 degrees, which was 3.4 degrees above normal. February also became the second warmest February of the last 53 years. With temperatures above seasonal norms in winter months, rainfall occurred more in the form of rain.”
Bayraktar pointed out that the decrease in rainfall in February and the high temperatures in winter months increased the population of rodents, causing damage to crops and increasing costs. He also said that high temperatures caused early flowering in fruits and if frost occurred in some regions, there could be a loss of yield in fruits.
Highlighting the importance of sufficient rainfall in the sowing period in October and the spring months, especially for a productive cereal season, Bayraktar said, “It is not accurate to say ‘there will be drought’ or ‘there is drought’ across Turkey as of today. Rainfall around seasonal norms in March and April will alleviate concerns about drought.”
Bayraktar also emphasized the importance of efficient water use, stating that the use of underground dams in agricultural irrigation should increase and the cultivation of drought-resistant crops should be encouraged.
source: aa.com.tr/ prepared by Melisa Beğiç